Envelop-sealer



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J. H. FEARIS. ENVELOP SEALER.

No. 571,873. Patented Nov. 24, 1896.

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llNiTnD STATES PATENT @rricn.

JAMES H. FEARIS, O1 CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA.

ENVELOP- SEALER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,873, dated November 24, 1896.

Serial No- 605,030. (No model.)

To all zuhorn it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. FEARIS, of Connersville, Fayette county, Indiana, have invented certain new and useful improve ments in Envelop-Sealers, of which the following a specification.

This invention pertains to a device for use in sealin gen velops by moistening the gummed flapsthereof and then folding and pressing the flap to place.

My invention will be readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying; drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end elevation of a machine exemplifying; my invention; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical trans verse section of the moistening-pad; Fig. 4, an end elevation of parts, illustrating the action of the machine in moisteniug the flap of the envelop; and Fig. 5, an end elevation of parts of the machine, illustrating the action in folding and pressing the flap.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a tablet of a size corresponding to that of the largest envelops to be dealt with by the machine; 2, the upper surface thereof, which surface is preferably padded, as by being covered with felt; 3, the under surface of the tablet, which surface forms a more or less yielding moisteningpad, as, for instance, by presenting cloth or other yielding absorbing-surface to hold water; 4, a carriage adapted for movement transversely of the tablet; 5, a clamp to serve in attaching the tablet to a desk or table in such manner that the upper and lower surfaces of the tablet are accessible; 6, a handle for giving sliding motion to the carriage across the table; 7, links connecting the handle with the carriage; S, a pressure-roller mounted in the carriage over the tablet and adapted for vertical movement with reference to the tablet, this roller being loaded so as to exert a downward, pressure upon the tablet, the load being secured, preferably, by making the roller of sufficient weight for the purpose; 9, a second roller mounted in the carriage and pressing upwardly againstthe un der or moisteniu g surface of the tablet, this roller being so mounted or adjusted in the carriage as to bear fairly upward against the moistening side as the carriage slides across the tablet; 10, the moistening-pad forming the lower surface of the tablet and being, preferably, in the form of aframe or'box separable from the tablet; 11, a layer of perforated metal in the moisteningpad over the cloth forming the lower surface thereof; 12, absorbent material, as felt, in the moistening-pad over the perforated metal; 13, a pan disposed in the central upper portion of the felt 12 and having perf rations to permit the passage of water to the felt; 14, the body of the envelop, and 15 the flap of the envelop. V

The moistening-pad maybe Withdrawn from the tablet and charged with water, which will keep the lower surface 3 thereof continually moist. Pan l3 subtracts from the depth of absorbent material at the center of the pad and is beneficial in preventing an excess of moisture at the central portion of the pad,

which portion will naturally be lowest by rea son of the downward bagging or bulging of the yielding pad-surf ace. The carriage and rollers normally occupy the position shown in Fig. 1. By operating the handle the rollers can be moved to near the front edge of the tablet and then returned to normal position.

In using the apparatus the envelop, with its flap open and the gum uppermost, is presented under the inoistening-pad, as seen in Fig. 4. An upward pressure with the hand under the flap would bring the flap fairly to the'pad and moisten the gum and put the flap in condition for sealing, but by operating the handle the lower pressure-roller presses the flap to the moisteningpad more quickly and perfectly than could be done by hand. W'hen the flap has been thus moistened, the envelop is moved downwardly, then forwardly and upwardly and backwardly in a somewhat circular path, and brought down upon the upper surface of the pad, as seen in Fig. 5, this act partially closing the liap as it strikes the upper roller. The flap has been thus gotten into specially favorable condition and position for sealing, and the sealing might be done by hand, but by again operating the handle the upper pressure roller closes the flap and presses it nicely to place, the loaded roller 8 accommodating itself to varying thicknesses of envelope and inclosures.

It will be observed that the machine combines Within itself two machines, one performing the moistening office by one impulse and the other performing the closing and pressing office by a separate impulse. The details of the machine may obviously be variously modified without departing from the principles involved in my invention.

I claim as my invention 1. In an envelop-sealer, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a fixed flat pad having a moistening-surface adapted to receive flatly at one time the entire gummed surface of the gummed flap of an envelop, a pressing agent at said moistening-surface and adapted to press the envelop-flap against said surface, and mechanism for giving motion to said pressing agent so as to permit the flap to be presented to said surface and then press the .flap to said surface and then permit said flap to be removed.

2. In an envelop-sealer, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a fixed flat pad having a moistening-surface adapted to receive at one time the entire gummed surface of the gummed flap of an envelop, a carriage arranged to move across said pad, a roller mounted in said carriage and bearing against said pad, and mechanism for giving traversing motion to said carriage.

In an envelop-sealer, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a fixed flat pad having a moistening-surface, with an area as great as that of the gummed flap of the envelop, a support holding said pad in an ele vated position with said moistening-surface downward, a carriage arranged to traverse said pad, a roller mounted in said carriage under said pad and engaging the moisteningsurface of the pad, and mechanism for traversing said carriage across said pad.

4:. In an envelop-sealer, the combination. substantially as set forth, of a pad having its lower surface formed of absorptive yieldin material, a filling of absorptive material above said lower surface and adapted to be charged with water and keep said lower surface moistened, and a perforated pan disposed within the upper central portion of said absorbent material and displacing only said upper central portion.

'5. In an envelop-sealer, the combination. substantially as set forth, of a tablet having a dry surface and a moistening-surfaoe, a carriage arranged to traverse said tablet, rollers mounted in said carriage and engaging the surfaces of the tablet, and mechanism for giving traversing motion to said carriage.

6. In an envelop-sealer, the combination. snbstanti ally as set forth, of a tablet presenting a surface upwardly and carrying a pad presenting a moistening-surface downwardly, a support connected with said tablet and adapted to support the same horizontally with both its surfaces accessible, a carriage arranged to traverse said tablet, rollers mounted in said carriage and engaging the surfaces Of the tablet, and mechanism for giving traversing mot-ion to said carriage.

JAMES H. FEARIS. Witnesses:

J. W. SEE, SAM D. FITTON, Jr. 

